AION 2 Playtest Ends With Mixed Steam Reviews and a 73,761 Player Peak

AION 2’s first global public playtest has wrapped, and the early read is mixed but not disastrous. The Steam Playtest is sitting at 69% positive user reviews at the time of writing, up from a much rougher early snapshot that reportedly had it below 50% positive during the first day.

The MMO also pulled a sizable crowd. AION 2 peaked at 73,761 concurrent players on Steam on September 17, with the second test window nearly matching it at 73,739. Those numbers don’t include players using NC’s PURPLE launcher, so the full test population was higher, though NC hasn’t shared a combined figure.

The biggest complaints haven’t changed much. Players are calling out the mobile-like UI, auto-navigation, auto-potions, guided questing and a very easy opening stretch. For some, that was enough to bounce off within the first hour.

Others seemed to warm up after more time with it. A common thread in player impressions is that combat starts too simple, then gets more interesting once classes unlock more skills and chains. Progression systems, visuals, mounts, pets and the game’s large vertical environments are getting more positive mentions.

It’s worth keeping the test’s limits in mind. The shop, Quna purchases, Membership, Market, Quna Exchange and other economy-related systems were disabled. Characters were capped at level 37 and wiped after the test, so players didn’t get the full launch economy or monetization picture. That’s likely to be a much bigger talking point once the live servers open.

NC did make some changes during and after the test, including crash fixes, improved quest-object interaction ranges and additional European servers. The company also confirmed a priority queue policy for accounts in good standing when servers are full, though priority access won’t guarantee instant entry.

Steam users will need to uninstall the separate Playtest app and download the retail AION 2 client before Advanced Access. PURPLE users don’t need that extra step. Advanced Access runs from September 30 through October 4, followed by the free-to-play global launch on October 5.

Further reading: Official AION 2 Steam news